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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23576383">Friendlier Shores</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonxraptor/pseuds/crimsonxraptor'>crimsonxraptor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drabble Collection, F/M, Headcanon, Minor Kairi/Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Post-Canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:27:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,099</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23576383</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonxraptor/pseuds/crimsonxraptor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>50 prompts from an old LJ comm, and all fills will be based on my post-canon au where Vanitas shows up, gets a replica body, and lives on Destiny Islands with Naminé and Riku.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Minor or Background Relationship(s), Naminé/Vanitas (Kingdom Hearts)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. 1-9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>so i'm putting quite a few headcanons in here and if anything contradicts canon lore then OOPS my bad, just roll with it</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>1. Hot.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas doesn't like <em>hot</em>. He doesn't mind warm, minds cold less, but he hates how the sun beats down on him.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>He didn't used to feel temperatures like this, not before he was crammed into this replica body of his and moved to the islands. He didn't used to sweat and didn't need to cake on sunscreen.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>At least he isn't alone. Naminé insists she's fine as long as she has her wide-brimmed straw hat but Vanitas catches her discomforted expression while fanning herself on the beach.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>He hands her the cold water bottle he brought for himself. "Take it."</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>2. Cold.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé's hands feel good on his face. They're always any level of cold, even when they've been outside all day. Her fingertips are the parts that are never warm, and in this heat they're Vanitas' favorite parts of her.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>It's an odd thing to insist is why he doesn't mind her touching him when it's clearly her physical contact that soothes him.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"Hey, it's hot in here," Vanitas says, putting his hand on the table in the well-air conditioned room of Riku's kitchen.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé giggles and gently lays her hand on top of his. "I can help you with that."</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>3. Day.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>No matter day or night, Naminé spends most of her time outside. She prefers the sunlight of day over the moonlight of night when she can see the outside world in all its beautiful colors and breathe in the warm smells of the ocean.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>It's hard, but not impossible, to get Vanitas to enjoy the daytime hours with her. Today she hands him an umbrella.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"What's this for?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"You hold it over your head. It blocks out the sun."</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas turns the bound umbrella in his hands. He huffs and, to Naminé's delight, agrees to join her on her walk.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>4. Night.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas prefers to move about at night under the cloak of darkness that drapes over the island. He doesn't need much sleep, so he takes his solo walks once the sun fully sets.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>He hears footsteps behind him and he whips around. It's just Naminé, but it's Naminé in her shorts, sandals, and a jacket--<em>his </em>jacket.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"Hey, it's cold out here."</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"That's why i brought this with me...you forgot it."</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"Were you planning on giving it to me?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"...oh."</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas slings his arm around Naminé's shoulders as they continue to walk. "Keep it, it looks better on you anyway." </p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>5. Sun.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>"Does it ever go down?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé shakes her head, mouth full of parfait. Vanitas snorts.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"So it's literally just twilight all day every day."</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé nods and takes another bite instead of answering him with words.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas pushes his parfait towards her and something uncomfortable happens in his chest when Naminé's cheeks flush and her eyes sparkle with delight: he feels warm, full, and as if his attachment to her has strengthened.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>He has to look away from her to ease the rising affection coming to the surface. Twilight Town is Naminé's favorite place for food, what did he expect?</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>6. Moon.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Sometimes at night Naminé sits on the ground by the paopu tree to sketch the calm, dark waters.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"Can you even see what you're doing?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"The moonlight helps," Naminé responds. She looks up at Vanitas with a small smile.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Then he shifts to the side and suddenly eclipses the moon. Naminé now sees him as a figure of darkness with a pair of piercing gold eyes, the bright moonlight shining around his silhouette.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>She offers her hand out to him. She wants to touch him to make sure he's still real and if he wants to sit next to her.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>7. Stars</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>"Jeez I'm tired of these guys. Let's get out of here."</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas' failed conversation with Ventus is lost on Naminé, who is standing barefoot in the grass with her hands clasped behind her back. She's looking up at the sky and her mouth is open slightly.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"Oh...right now?" she asks, her voice soft.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas rolls his eyes. "Yeah right now, it's the Land of Departure not the Land of Staying."</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"Can we wait a little, please? The stars are beautiful here."</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"What's so great about them?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé wipes something from her eye. "They were out here the whole time."</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>8. Light.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>"I think we're more alike than expected."</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas huffs. "Oh really? Enlighten me."</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"We...we both come from people of pure light. Which...makes us the same, doesn't it?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé fidgets as Vanitas mulls her words over. Technically their circumstances were different, but she might not be wrong. He grunts and turns his head towards her.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"So there's not an ounce of light in you, huh?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé's shoulders drop. "I don't know...I'm different from Roxas and the rest of them..."</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas lets the moment sit for a moment. "Who needs light anyway? You're just fine the way you are."</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>9. Dark.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Without warning, Vanitas turns the lights in the room off.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé gasps. "Vanitas?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>He approaches her and touches her face; she jumps but doesn't recoil.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"Why did you make it dark?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas closes in on her, pressing their foreheads together. "I want you to embrace this."</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"Vanitas..."</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>He brushes his thumb across the corner of her mouth. "You can't see, right? You need to--"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé surprises him by giggling softly. "I can see just fine," she hushes Vanitas' heart skips when she kisses him. He wasn't expecting this, and as he dives into kissing her back realizes he's in deeper than he thought.</p>
</blockquote>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. 10-16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>10. Quiet.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas hangs around when Riku is teaching Naminé how to play the ukulele. Riku admits that he's not that great himself, but he's able to teach Naminé some basics.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>As soon as Riku leaves Vanitas comes out from his hiding place and sits next to Naminé.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"If you want to join in you can. Riku knows you're there," she teases.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas shrugs. "Whatever. I don't want to play anything, I don't get why you do."</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé gets that far-away look in her eyes with the sad smile to go with it. "I'd like to decide when it's quiet for once."</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>11. Loud.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>The crashing waves and claps of thunder had Naminé frozen in place. The storm had come on suddenly during her walk with Vanitas on the other island and they took temporary shelter in the little hut on the beach.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>It was too loud, all of it was too loud; she was so used to silence that thunder and heavy rain paralyzed her.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas clamps his hands over her ears. His efforts don't fully block the sounds out but the pressure against her head and the comfort of his thoughtful action soothe her just enough to get her limbs moving again.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>12. Hate.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>"Ven doesn't hate you," Naminé insists.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas scoffs. "Like I care what my stupid brother thinks of me," he grumbles, clearly caring. Naminé sighs.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"You and Ven just disagree. Isn't that what siblings do?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"Aren't brothers supposed to get along?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas has grown into someone who wants connections with others while having no idea how to do so and expecting the worst out of others. He would never admit to or deny it, though, and Naminé finds that a little charming.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"If he hated you would he try to be friends with you?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas crosses his arms. "Yeah, he's stupid."</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>13. Love.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas has chapped lips because he refuses to use the lip balm Riku gave Naminé who gave it to Vanitas. He comments on how soft hers are sometimes. His few gentle murmurs are compliments of how she feels and the little sounds she makes. He smiled at her once and her heart couldn't take it.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Is this what light feels like, she wonders, this warmth and fullness in her chest?</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"That's love, isn't it?" Riku suggests when she asks him.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"Oh... is it?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Riku doesn't look at her face anymore. "I would know," he says, "they're just... gone for now."</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>14. Dream.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>The first time Vanitas dreams happens to be the first time he sleeps. Naminé doesn't think anything of him slipping into soft snoring and is hugely startled when he wakes up with a yell.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé presses her hand to her chest as if to force her heart to slow down. "Vanitas? What happened?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas has his hands fisted in his hair and his face against his pulled-up knees. "What did I just <em>do?</em> I was somewhere else--! Where did I go?!"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé still isn't used to him. "You fell asleep... did you have a bad dream?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas glares. "A <em>what?</em>"</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>15. Nightmare.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé's nightmares are never dark or full of monsters. They're quiet and bright, sterile and cold. Ghosts of her past pass by to taunt her from time to time in her lonely cage, sometimes to accuse her of fabricating people's memories to make them like her.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>She can handle the verbal abuse. Her complacency is what scares her. She can't ever escape herself. She just sits still.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>She's woken up by Vanitas who shakes her by her shoulder. She'd fallen asleep on him.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"You're crying," Vanitas says. "Why are you crying?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé wipes her tears away. "Nothing... just a nightmare."</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>16. Daydream.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>The tip of Naminé's crayon hasn't moved. She's been staring out at the ocean most of the time she's been outside.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas sits up from laying down on the path and watches Naminé. Her eyes don't look vacant but she doesn't look like she's here. The page her sketchbook is open to has a few lines drawn on it.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"What are you looking at?" he asks and waves his hand in front of her face. Naminé snaps out of her daze.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"Hm?"</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>"You were staring at nothing again," Vanitas drawls.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé sighs, tucking hair behind her ear. "Daydreaming, I guess."</p>
</blockquote>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. 17-25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>officially halfway through!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>17. Past.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé’s past doesn’t come up that often. She knows more about Vanitas than most people but she keeps her history locked tight.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“It’s not like you did anything bad,” Vanitas says, waving his hand dismissively, “so what’s the deal?”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé withdraws and her silence is loud enough to cause Vanitas to look up at her on her paopu tree perch.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>He smirks. “Well then. What could you have done?”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé opens then immediately closes her mouth; she can’t bring herself to tell him about her lonely days as a witch and the way she used her powers to hurt others.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>18. Present.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>“It’s hard to go back to normal life,” Riku muses, “that’s why I chose to not live with my parents.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas doesn’t really know what a parent is and he doesn’t really care about this conversation. “Okay, and?”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“He’s answering your question,” Naminé explains softly.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Riku turns his cup around on the table. “I can’t mix how things are presently with who I was years ago. So we live on our own.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas rocks back in his chair, arms crossed. “Right. Everyone else doesn’t know anything.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé sighs. “No one can understand us...can they?”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“...Not ever again,” Riku says.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>19. Future.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>It took a long time for Naminé to convince Vanitas to accompany her to talk to Kairi. He always goes with her and Riku to Radiant Garden when they visit Kairi’s sleeping form but he never went into the lab with them.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé is holding Vanitas’ hand with both of hers, gently cradling him as she speaks softly to Kairi.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“I hope you won’t be alarmed when you wake up someday,” she says, “he’s good.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas tries not to scowl the whole time; he’s so uncomfortable he wants to speed time up so they can stop waiting for the future.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>20. Awake.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé is so lost in her drawing she doesn’t notice the sun go down. She’s switching between colored pencils, holding one or two between every couple of fingers. Her artwork isn’t big but she’s been putting details into every inch she can.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“--mi. Nami!”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé jumps, dropping some of her pencils onto her desk. She looks toward the door and sees Vanitas leaning against it.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“What are you doing still awake?” he asks, sounding a tad more annoyed than concerned. “You need to sleep.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé looks down at her piece and hums. “Oh, I just got caught up in this.”</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>21. Sleep.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas doesn’t need more sleep than a few naps throughout the day. He didn’t need to at all before, why should he now? He’s never slept through an entire night and doesn’t believe he can.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>He always hangs out in Naminé’s room until she goes to sleep then leaves to go loiter around the house until she or Riku wakes up, but this time Naminé asks him to stay.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Why?” he asks, looping his arm around her waist as she snuggles closer into his chest.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé hums and falls asleep without answering. To his surprise, Vanitas wakes up hours later.</p>
</blockquote><p>
  <strong>22. Brief.</strong>
</p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Vanitas doesn’t kiss her in front of other people. Naminé doesn’t really mind, she’s probably just as private as he is so it’s not something that she thinks much of. <br/><br/>So it catches her off guard when, after breakfast with Riku, he kisses her cheek briefly, mumbles something she can’t understand, and rushes out of the house. <br/><br/>Riku raises his eyebrows and finishes his sip of coffee. “That happened,” he comments. Naminé blushes.<br/><br/>“Oh, yes...it did.” She tries to drink her tea normally but ends up letting the cup sit on her lips for a long moment before drinking.</p>
</blockquote><p>
  <strong>23. Forever.</strong>
</p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>“How long do you think we’re stuck here?”<br/><br/>Naminé frowns in Vanitas’ direction. “Hm? What do you mean?”<br/><br/>Vanitas is glaring out at the horizon. “We can’t stay here forever, right? How <em>boring</em> would that be?”<br/><br/>“Well...where would you go?”<br/><br/>“I dunno, and you’re coming with me wherever that is.”<br/><br/>Naminé, flustered, looks down at her fidgeting hands. “I am?”<br/><br/>“Uh, yeah?” Vanitas sounds a tinge bashful as he tries to act confidently like this was something they discussed. “We have to move on at some point.”<br/><br/>“Then...we can talk about it when the time comes.”</p>
</blockquote><p>
  <strong>24. Emotional.</strong>
</p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Vanitas isn’t emotional in the same way Naminé is; Naminé is more gentle and her more intense emotions lead to her crying even when she’s happy. Vanitas has only seen her do this a few times, and has teased her at least once about it.<br/><br/>He might be just as emotional as her, though; he reacts to everything in myriad ways and most of the time is more expressive than Naminé. He has ten more ways to smirk than she does to smile.<br/><br/>Vanitas definitely has strong emotions when something he does causes Naminé tear up and giggle at once.</p>
</blockquote><p>
  <strong>25. Blank.</strong>
</p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Naminé sits at her desk, hands folded in her lap, and stares down at the blank page in her open sketchbook. Vanitas has been watching her do this for a while.<br/><br/>He finally can’t take it anymore. “Hey, why aren’t you doing anything?”<br/><br/>Naminé slumps back in her chair. “I can’t think of anything...and I don’t want to draw the ocean again.”<br/><br/>“Well, that’s a bummer, isn’t it?”<br/><br/>“But...maybe this is how I feel today.”<br/><br/>Vanitas squints at her. “Huh?”<br/><br/>Naminé closes her sketchbook, leaving the page blank and empty. “A walk might cheer me up...shall we?”</p>
</blockquote>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. 26-34</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>26. Life.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas never puts thought into what he wants out of his chance at life. He does what comes to him and sits back until he reacts for the rest of it. Since his original, pre-replica plan to fuse with Ventus didn’t work out he has to do something else.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>He was tired of island life until he got closer to Naminé. She was patient with him and found ways to make existing more interesting, even worthwhile. His world used to only be him and Ventus.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Hey, how’s life today?” Riku asks when he comes into the kitchen.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas shrugs. “Where’s Naminé?”</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>27. Death.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé hasn’t thought about death in a real way before this moment, crouching next to a seagull who must have starved from a broken wing. The people she knew in the Organization didn’t really die...did they? They were fine now, at least, but it didn’t cross her mind much back then.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Did she inherently know as a Nobody that they could return to life as easily as they were brought to death?</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>She looks up at Vanitas, brought back from the dead and currently bored, and cocks her head. “I feel sorry for it...what a cruel fate.”</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>28. Win.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Oh, Riku! Would you like to play with us?” she asks, perking up.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Riku looks between chipper Naminé, pouting Vanitas, and their playing card game. “Um...maybe I shouldn’t. You two look like you’re having fun.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Come <em>on</em>, man, she keeps winning,” Vanitas growls. “Maybe you can beat her.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé smiles as if Vanitas speaking casually to Riku and asking for help--in a way--wasn’t a new development.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Riku chuckles and sits. “Well, if that’s the case then count me in.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Hear that, Nami? Your winning streak is <em>over</em>.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>And now nicknames. What has Riku been missing?</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>29. Draw.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas was thrilled in his own way when he and Naminé discovered the Struggle tournament happening on their visit to Twilight Town. With Roxas’ endorsement he was allowed to enter despite never playing before.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>They end up against each other in the final match and Naminé has to cheer for them both--Lea teases her about it.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>The match ends in a draw when the timer runs out and their scores are the same. Vanitas looks more upset about it than Roxas does, but Roxas has always been a good sport.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Could’ve had him if there was more time,” he grumbles.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>30. Lose.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>At first, the sight for Riku isn’t unusual: Sora and Kairi’s faces talking to each other, sometimes mumbling to themselves, being subtly loving to each other. Then Vanitas misses a smile, Naminé a louder laugh, and Riku snaps back to reality.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Sometimes being near the two is almost reminds him too much of what he’s lost and maybe what he’ll continue to lose. It creeps up on him and he has to push the negative out and replace with the positive; he’ll see his partners again someday.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>For now, though, he can be supportive of and happy for his housemates.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>31. Friends.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>“I’m sick of him trying to act like we can just be “friends” and that’s it!” Vanitas growls, stomping out of the Land of Departure castle and across the courtyard. “We’re something more, why can’t he see that?”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“...Do you want to be a family?” Naminé suggests.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas scoffs. “He’s already my brother.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé sighs. “Yes but...hm. I don’t know how to explain it.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“...I want...damn it, what you and Kairi have.” Vanitas curses again and looks away from Naminé.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé’s chest feels warm; she hasn’t spoken to Kairi in so long but she understands Vanitas’ feelings now.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>32. Enemies</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé knew getting her friends to accept her relationship with Vanitas would be a little tricky even if they were a forgiving bunch.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Riku, no stranger to the struggle Vanitas would face, was the quickest to give his approval.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>The others weren’t as easy; Lea has a hard time letting go of Vanitas as one of the enemies until Isa steps in to take him aside to talk.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Probably getting angsty over there,” Roxas teases them. He and Xion seem apprehensive but willing to give Vanitas a chance.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Nice to meet you on this side,” Xion says with a smile.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>33. Black</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas whistles. “So you can summon portals, too? <em>You?</em>”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé’s hand curls into a loose fist at her chest. “I...yes, I am--was a Nobody after all.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas smirks and puts his hand around Naminé’s little shoulder. He’s always excited by the times Naminé isn’t the beacon of light people treat her as.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“What about those black coats? Do you need one of those?”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“...I don’t think so.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé is obviously about as troubled by her powers as Vanitas is delighted by them. He squeezes her shoulder.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>He leans into her ear. “Then let’s go somewhere, just you and me.”</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>34. White.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>“It’s all white,” Vanitas comments, barely holding back a sneer at the clothes draped over Naminé’s arm. Radiant Garden is her favorite place to shop for clothes; Vanitas prefers Twilight Town.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé looks at her choices. “Hm...they are.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Why?”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Why do you wear all black?”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas scrunches his face and Naminé giggles. It’s true, though, Vanitas’ only other color of choice is red but that’s due to Twilight Town’s current style aesthetic; he likes it and he supposes it’s about the same as Naminé accents of baby blue.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé hums. “I’ll try on one black thing you pick out.”</p>
</blockquote>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. 35-44</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>only 6 more to go!!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p></p><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>35. Embrace.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>The only person Naminé has hugged is Kairi. Vanitas hasn’t hugged anyone ever in his existence. So of course Naminé wants them to try it out.</p>
  <p>Naminé is the first to go. She wraps her arms around Vanitas’ chest and shuffles closer to him until her chin can rest on his shoulder. Her hold is loose at first. She feels so small.</p>
  <p>“Okay...your turn.”</p>
  <p>Vanitas hesitates then copies Naminé, wrapping his arms around her petite shoulders. He holds her close immediately, locking them into their first embrace.</p>
  <p>Naminé sighs in his ear. “This isn’t so bad, is it?”</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>36. Strangers.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Sometimes Naminé felt like she was feeding a stray cat. Ever since they got Vanitas his new replica body he’d been avoiding Naminé and Riku with fervor. He at least returned to Destiny Islands with them but he rarely leaves his room in Riku’s house.</p>
  <p>So here Naminé stands at Vanitas’ door, hot bowl of food in her oven mitt hands. “Vanitas...? Are you sure you don’t want to eat?”</p>
  <p>No answer. She doesn’t like leaving food on the floor but...they were complete strangers, she couldn’t blame him for closing himself off. They didn’t know each other at all.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>37. Color.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas picks up a green pencil from Naminé’s open tin of colored pencils. “Do you even use all these colors?” he asks, rolling it between his fingers. It still hasn’t been sharpened.</p>
  <p>Naminé hums, switching between a purple and orange for her horizon. “Not all at once, no.”</p>
  <p>“Yeah that’s obvious. Why not these ones?”</p>
  <p>Naminé looks over at Vanitas focusing on her either unused or hardly used greens. “Oh...you’re right.”</p>
  <p>“You could turn around and draw the rest of the other island for once, right?”</p>
  <p>Naminé smiles. “Do you want to?”</p>
  <p>Vanitas scoffs. “No way, too many colors.”</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>38. Colorless.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Do you want to try drawing?”</p>
  <p>Vanitas grimaces. “What? No. Not interested.”</p>
  <p>Naminé is fishing out all her grays and black pencils. “You don’t have to use color if you don’t want to,” she says, seemingly ignoring Vanitas’ protest. Vanitas crosses his arms tight over his chest as if hiding his hands will make this stop.</p>
  <p>“So what? Still not interested.”</p>
  <p>Despite his second denial of her offer, Naminé puts the colorless pencils on top of her sketchbook and gently nudges it towards Vanitas. “Please just try? You might like it.”</p>
  <p>Vanitas huffs and rolls his eyes, finally giving in.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>39. Poor.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé finds it incredibly sweet of Vanitas to go out into town on his own and come back with a gift for her. It’s almost the same present as one Riku gave her before but a different set. She’ll always look at these colored pencils and feel warm that it was Vanitas who gave them to her.</p>
  <p>She colors with them once and discovers that they’re poor quality but Naminé doesn’t mind. She is, however, concerned about one particular detail.</p>
  <p>“Vanitas...where did you get the money for these?”</p>
  <p>Vanitas’ furrowed, confused brow tells her all she needs to know.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>40. Rich.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Sometimes when they decide to go out together--on <em>dates</em> as Naminé bashfully calls it--they often arrive in Twilight Town and head straight for the bistro.</p>
  <p>Naminé usually gets sweet things for dessert but today she decides to try a very rich chocolate cake in hopes that Vanitas will like a dessert for once.</p>
  <p>Naminé can only handle a few bites until she puts down her fork. Vanitas grins.</p>
  <p>“Oh, so it got the best of you after all.”</p>
  <p>Naminé nods. “It’s very good but...well, I’m glad you like it.”</p>
  <p>Vanitas smirks and pulls the cake towards him.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>41. Truth.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Y’know I’m surprised none of your friends made a big fuss about us.” Vanitas says to Naminé, chin in his hands.</p>
  <p>Riku doesn’t want to comment. He keeps watching the kettle and setting up three mugs.</p>
  <p>But Vanitas has a way of dragging people into things. “Especially <em>you</em> over there,” he says.</p>
  <p>“To tell the truth, you two,” Riku admits, “I wasn’t so sure about this.”</p>
  <p>Vanitas shrugs and Naminé looks down at her folded hands. Riku sighs and sets down their teas in front of them. This isn’t his favorite conversation but he didn’t want to lie.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>42. Lies.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>“I’ve...told a lot of lies,” Naminé confesses softly. “I’ve created so many lies...and I was never the one to pay the price.”</p>
  <p>Vanitas watches her, mouth pursed to the side. Then he shrugs and stretches his arms up. “So what?”</p>
  <p>Naminé’s head snaps towards him. “What?”</p>
  <p>“<em>So what?</em> None of your friends care about all that, right?”</p>
  <p>Naminé pauses. “No...they don’t, I don’t think. They’re very forgiving.”</p>
  <p>Vanitas tugs Naminé against his side by her waist. “And, y’know, I like this dark little secret of yours,” he says, lips to her ear, “tell me more.”</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>43. Clean.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas doesn’t need his helmet anymore, or at least not in the foreseeable future. It sits on a shelf in his room across from his bed where he can stare at it every night until he falls asleep.</p>
  <p>He’s taken to wiping down the front plate with his t-shirts whenever it gathers a little dust or he leaves finger marks over it.</p>
  <p>Naminé brings him some cleaning spray and a towel after she catches him doing it. “Here, this can clean that up for you.”</p>
  <p>Vanitas doesn’t it want to be a serious thing, but he accepts the items anyway.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>44. Dirty.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Oh no!”</p>
  <p>Naminé’s dress is covered in mud after a cyclist zooms by over a puddle that splashed all over her. Vanitas almost takes off after them but Naminé grabs his arm with both of her hands.</p>
  <p>“It’s okay...”</p>
  <p>“Not really. Can you portal back to your room and change?”</p>
  <p>She hesitates before dragging Vanitas into an alleyway to create a portal and step through. Vanitas waits in front of it until she reemerges in a new white and baby blue dress. Naminé closes the portal and sighs.</p>
  <p>“I don’t like using these...”</p>
  <p>“Yeah but your dress isn’t dirty now.”</p>
</blockquote>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. 45-50</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>all done!!! this is the first table i've actually ever finished!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>45. Alone.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Have you ever felt alone, Vanitas?”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas stops focusing on how the sand feels under his feet as they walk along the shore. “Huh? Alone? I’ve never cared about being alone.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé swings her sandals at her side. “Hm...I thought otherwise,” she confesses.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Why?”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Sometimes you seem lonely. Like when you have to leave Ven.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas scoffs. He doesn’t say anything.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé slows down. “I wonder...why don’t you live with him? You miss him.” She’s sad from the idea, but it’s the truth.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas knocks her hand with his. “I see him enough. I’m not alone with you.”</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>46. Remember.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>“So what’s it like? With you and Kairi?” Vanitas asks. He’s more comfortable with Naminé now to ask.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé sighs happily. “I remember how we connected as soon as we met. I felt safe with her...like I could follow her lead and be okay.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas takes another bite out of his sea salt ice-cream. “Remember anything else?”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé looks down at her ice-cream. “Plenty, but we haven’t been able to spend that much time together. And now that she’s asleep...”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>She wipes at her eye and Vanitas feels a small pang of guilt. “She’ll come back, y’know,” he says.</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>47. Forget.</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>“So <em>you</em> can make anyone forget <em>anything?</em>” Vanitas asks, tossing the book he was barely reading off to the side.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé is used to Vanitas’ mistreatment of books at this point; at least it was onto his bed and not the floor.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>She sips her tea. “Yes, I can.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas whistles. “That’s some <em>power</em>. But you’re too good to do that to anyone, aren’t you?”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé pauses. She’s much better now about believing she’s a good person and she’s done everything she can to help out her friends. She’s good.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“You’re right, I am.”</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>48. Stop. (Writer’s Choice)</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Against Riku’s gentle opposition, Naminé takes to sitting outside Vanitas’ door and sometimes talking to him. He doesn’t answer most of the time and they spend a lot of time in silence. Naminé doesn’t want to leave him alone; everyone needs a friend.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Hey.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé jumps. “Oh, hello, Vanitas.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>She hears Vanitas’ “tch” and finds the sliver of personality charming for existing.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Stop doing this,” he growls, “there’s no point in whatever you’re doing.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé frowns. She’s been afraid of pushing him away instead of coaxing him into conversation. “I disagree. You’re talking to me now, that’s all I want.”</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>49. Wait. (Writer’s Choice)</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé kisses Kairi’s temple. “See you soon,” she whispers. She holds out her hand for Vanitas to take and as he does she starts to lead them out of the lab. She thanks the scientists--and Demyx, she guesses--for taking care of Kairi and bustles out.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>It’s a little harder each time,” Naminé says, her voice cracking, “waiting is getting harder.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas stops Naminé from leading them past the gummi ship. “Hey, you can’t just run away like that.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Naminé holds onto his hand tighter. Her grip isn’t strong but it isn’t weak either. “I know...she wouldn’t want me to.”</p>
</blockquote><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>50. Go. (Writer’s Choice)</strong>
  </p>
</div><blockquote class="">
  <p>“What are you all dressed up for?” Riku teases Vanitas, who’s dressed up a little nicer than usual.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Vanitas shrugs. “Some festival Roxas invited us to,” he says, “Naminé said we should dress up a bit.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“I didn’t know you two were also going,” Riku comments, “we can all take the gummi ship then.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Nah, we’ll go our own way.”</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Just as Riku offers again, Naminé emerges from her room. Her hair is braided and her outfit leans more into “pretty” than her usual “cute”.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>Ready to go?” she asks. Vanitas composes himself enough to get up.</p>
</blockquote><blockquote class="">
  <p>“Yeah, all ready.”</p>
</blockquote>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>y'all can check out my writing tumblr at <a href="http://raptorbox.tumblr.com">raptorbox</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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